Pathfinders
by GreyWarden2009
Summary: Things are not faring well for the American military during the zombie apocalypse. Of course, no one ever thought such a thing would happen. Security Forces, on the other hand, has a lot of time to think up of contingencies for different scenarios. This is the story of one such 'zombie hunter team' as they struggle to survive in the new world. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

The smell of blood and cordite filled Senior Airman Samuel Peterson's nostrils as he hefted his M249 automatic rifle, ponderously making his way through the empty street under the weight of his gear and salvage.

Samuel, Sam or Kuma to his friends, could only be described as a bear, what with the way he was built and the way he liked to hug others. Sounds strange, yes, but many knew that Sam was an eccentric to begin with. He stood at six feet two inches, had a medium muscular build, and sported a week's worth of facial hair. His eyes were brown around the edge of his irises, with a hint of green around the pupil. His reddish-brown hair was a far cry from military regulation now, as it had become unruly and came down to the tops of his ears. He wore his ABU trousers, green steel-toe combat boots, a sand t-shirt, and a rifleman's harness as his preferred outfit. He had long since rolled up his ABU blouse and tucked it into one of the various pockets of his rucksack which housed three crate fulls of 5.56mm NATO ammunition, all belt linked. He carried two assault packs for his M249 in individual pouches, both of which were slung across his body and resting on his left hip for easy access when he needed to reload. On his right leg was a drop holster, securing his sidearm which was an M9 pistol, as well as a USMC Kabar fighting knife, which was strapped to the outside of his right shin. He had a machette strapped to his rucksack, just over his right shoulder. He wore his kevlar helmet, and taped a pack of cigarettes to the right side of his helmet so he wouldn't crush them in any of his pockets.

There were others with Sam, three in fact, that claimed he was modeling himself after some character in Full Metal Jacket, or Platoon. Sam didn't deny those claims.

The next in the column formation was Senior Airman Isaac Tennerman. Isaac, while shorter than Sam, was no less *cough* intimidating with his tobacco pipe and curling moustache. Isaac came up to Sam's shoulders in terms of height, and had a significantly slighter muscular build. Where he lacked in strength, however, he made up for in intellect. Sam was no idiot, but he couldn't hold his own in a debate with Isaac if his life depended on it. Isaac's brown hair was still within regulation, being an inch-and-a-half, though his curly moustache was most definately outside of standards. His chocolate brown eyes often twinkled when he was in a good mood, or if he were being mischevious. He wore his full uniform, along with his Security Forces beret as well as his own rifleman's harness and drop holster. He was armed with an M4 carbine with an M203 grenade launcher attatched, an M9 pistol, and a machette which was strapped to the side of his own rucksack, which contained several IFAK's (Individual First Aid Kit), and a crate full of 40mm low velocity HE rounds.

"Hey, Kuma, when are we gonna take a break?"

Sam stopped and turned, looking back at the only female in the group, "We can take a break now, if you want to, Jess."

Airman First Class Jessica Heartilly, a red-haired, green-eyed spitfire stood at about the same height as Isaac and had a petite build. Her long, red hair was tied up in a bun to keep it out of her way when she worked. She wore her dark blue, C-130 maintenance jumpsuit along with a toolbelt slung across her hips and black steel-toe boots. She was armed with an M9 pistol and whatever tool was in her belt, and carried a smaller backpack than the others, though her's was loaded up with MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) and bottled water.

The last guy in line, Senior Airman Brian Richardson, merely shook his head as he dropped his rucksack, "Not all of us can truck it like you, Sam."

Brian was only an inch shorter than Sam, and had a lean muscular build that was larger than Isaac's build, but smaller than Sam's. He wore an outfit similar to Sam's, with an ABU garrison cap instead of a kevlar helmet, and was armed with an M14 sniper rifle and an M9 pistol, as well as his own combat knife. He had short black hair, which he kept within regs, and steel gray eyes. He was this team's marksman, while Jess was the mechanic, Isaac the medic/grenadier, and Sam the all-around tank.

"All y'all have to do is speak up if you're tired," Sam grumbled. Sam had a bit of a country boy accent, not that it really bothered anyone.

They had a humvee up until awhile ago, the axel having broken under the stress of plowing through so many undead as the team made their escape from Yokota Air Base, which was right next to Tokyo proper. They had an M240b machine gun back then as well, though that had long overheated and run out of ammo by the time they ditched the humvee. They were currently on their way to Izu Peninsula by way of route 16, route 129, route 412, route 246, route 255, and eventually to route 135 and were passing through Kawazu, near Minami Elementary School, when they heard the sounds of survivors being overrun by a horde.

"Should we help?" Brian asked.

"Do you need to ask?" Sam frowned as he chambered a round and jogged ahead, seemingly unhindered by the amount of gear he carried. Everyone else looked at each other, then ran after the bear of a man as the distinct rattle of automatic fire echoed through the street.

* * *

The outbreak had started earlier that month, and Yokota Air Base was quickly overrun due to how close it was to Tokyo, what with how many locals lived nearby. The USAF had at first attempted to provide first aid, relief, and had opened its gates in an effort to provide sanctuary to survivors. Because of this, Yokota AB was overrun from within, even after they had shut the base down and restricted access to the installation.

Few people made it out of Yokota Air Base, many of those were military personnel who were trained in the use of firearms and armed up with them everyday. Even fewer, in the case of A1C Heartilly, were lucky to be counted as a good friend of several Security Forces members.

They had vacated the vicinity; after acquiring a humvee, a crate full of MRE's, some water, and as much ammo as space allowed; and made their way south, hoping to get away from the city. Radio contact with the other installations on mainland Japan were quickly lost, effectively isolating the refugees and cutting them off from any support that might have survived. A direct exit out of the city was made impossible by the sheer amount of infected civilians. Even a reinforced vehicle, such as a military grade humvee, can take only so much punishment before breaking apart. The M240b machine gun that was mounted on the top of the humvee was put to work by an enthusiastic SrA Peterson and quickly ran out of ammuntion. Even if they had more ammo, they wouldn't have been able to use the gun since the barrel was so hot that it had warped after sending so many rounds down range.

They had abandoned the ruined humvee in front of Takane Elementary School, which was being used as a rally point for civilians and Japanese Prefectural Police, and leaving a majority of their supplies with the refugees there before continuing southward on foot.

Sam, Isaac, and Brian have been on several deployments, so they are used to rucking long distances. Jess, on the other hand, was not. It's not like she was a hinderance, but they took more breaks than they would have if she weren't there. It was a good thing they rescued her, though, since she has more technical expertise than the guys did.

When Brian, Jess, and Isaac came around the corner of the building, they saw Sam standing between a group of seven people and a horde of infected, calmly firing his M249 into the waves of undead. The school was clearly overrun, but the group of survivors may not have known that going in. They certainly did now, though.

"Jess, Isaac, get those civilians back. Sam, tactical withdrawal," Brian said, just loudly enough for Sam to hear.

Sam merely nodded as he stepped backwards as he continued to fire. When he ran out of ammo, he reloaded the automatic weapon in practiced motions as Brian picked off whatever zed that got too close to Sam.

There was an elderly man, a middle aged man, and a young man amoung the group of survivors that were armed with various improvised weapons. The three women and one child were all unarmed.

"Nee-san, are we going to be alright?" Jess looked down to see a little boy, no more than eight or nine years old, tugging on her jumpsuit's leg.

Jess smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, "We'll be fine, munchkin."

"You really believe that, don't you?" One of the women, the youngest of the three, picked up the boy as they fled the school.

"I do," Jess nodded, "those three are the best at what they do. Silently now, boys!"

Now that they were far enough away from the school, the guys slung their weapons and pulled out their blades, still forming a protective circle around the survivors. Surprisingly enough, the infected were far fewer in number several blocks away from the school. Still playing it safe, however, they continued running until they were well away from the place and closer to what appeared to be a train station.

"I don't know if this is the way we want to go, wouldn't people crowd around the public transit systems to get away?" Jess asked softly so as not to attract the attention of any nearby zeds that may have been out of sight. They made sure the area was clear and decided to rest for a moment. The Americans rallied up and put their heads together on what they should do.

"True," Isaac said, taking a puff from his tobacco pipe, "but there won't be any trains running now. Those would have stopped early on in the outbreak. We can follow the train tracks to the next city to avoid anymore zeds in this city."

"Yes, but we only have enough supplies for the four of us. What about them?" Brian asked, jerking a thumb in the other survivors' direction.

"We'll take 'em with us. We could procure some supplies, dry goods and water, from the convenience store and have 'em carry what they can. We definately can't leave 'em here since some of 'em are unarmed, and they got a kid. S'just not right," Sam said, cracking his neck as he nodded towards the convenience store that was located across the street.

"Isaac and I will go check it out while you run the plan by them, Sam," Brian said. With that, he and Isaac jogged across the street and ducked inside the seemingly abandoned convenience store.

When Sam and Jess approached, the middle aged man stepped foward, "Thank you for saving us, but what I want to know is why were four Americans in the area when there aren't any bases in the area."

Jess raised an eyebrow, "No problem, but does it matter why we were in the area? Yokota AB was overrun, now we're cut off and on our own."

"Easy, Jess. Sir, we're doin' what we can to survive. If it means helpin' civilians along the way, all the better. Now, we're plannin' on followin' the railroad to the next city over, but we don't have enough food and water for all of us. My two buddies went to check out the seven eleven over there to see if it has any food or water for you. Now what I want to know is if you want to head out on your own, or if you want to stick with us," Sam said seriously. The man paused and looked at his family. The elderly man and the middle aged woman both nodded.

"Alright. We'll stick with you until we meet with more survivors. My name is Miyahira Kenji," The man said.

"I'm Samuel, but you can call me Sam or Kuma. This is Jess, and I'll introduce the others when they get back," Sam said, "it's funny, though. We're linkin' up so we can help you out and protect you. The motto for my unit is 'Defensor Fortis.' You know what that means?"

Kenji shook his head, "No. What does that mean?"

"It means defenders of the force. We are a group of humans standin' against a threat that will snuff out our lives without a a second thought. Those things aren't human anymore, and we will make sure that you and your family will make it to a safe place. You have my word on that," Sam said. He looked across the street and saw one of the guys signaling him with a flashlight.

"I'm sure you and your family are tired, so let's camp here for the night. We'll head out at first light, following the tracks to the next city," Sam said. Kenji nodded, then got his family to their feet and across the street.

"Everyone inside? Good. I'll take first shift, so the rest of you get some sleep," Brian said.

"Sounds good to me," Sam grinned. As everyone found a place to lay out, Brian turned to watch the store front as the streets began to darken.


	2. Chapter 2

A lone figure moved quietly along the lane, careful to avoid stepping on anything that would make noise. She had been on the move for a few days, trying desperately to get out of town and away from the walking corpses that seemed to infest every turn.

"Okay, Sei-chan, you can do this," she whispered to herself. "Just keep thinking. One more block. One more block and you'll be out of town before you know it. If only James were here…"

She shook her head and set her eyes firmly on her next goal. The end of the block was only a few meters away and none of Them in sight. The high walls lining the street were a mixed blessing. While they kept her hidden from view, they blocked her line of vision and made navigating the narrow streets dangerous.

Seiko hefted the baseball bat over her shoulder, ready to swing it at a moment's notice. The sun was sinking to the west driving her forward to the next house. It would have to be cleared before the sun went down completely.

_ Oh, Sawa-chan. I miss you. It's been so hard doing this on my own since your suicide._

She settled on a small, low-slung one-storey. The garden wall kept it hidden from the street, but two gates would be difficult to secure. She quickly ran to the side gate and jammed rocks and other items into the hinges. It wouldn't stop a determined push, but would make enough noise to alert Seiko to impending danger.

She held the bat in front of her like a sword and gingerly pushed on the front door. After a minor effort, it swung open. The squeak of its hinges induced a cringe in Seiko as she glanced in every direction. She cautiously crept into the foyer and let her eyes adjust to the lack of light from within.

A pair of legs hanging out the hallway bathroom sent a shiver up Seiko's spine. She nudged at them with her bat and leapt backward awaiting a response. The legs remained motionless. Seiko gathered her pluck and tried it once more. Nothing. She closed the door behind her and entered the house.

"You have chosen wisely," she muttered to herself. The house was very small, likely post-war, and contained only two bedrooms, a kitchen and bath. The main sitting / living room faced the street with a large plate glass window. "Too late to worry about it now."

She wandered into the kitchen to see if any food remained behind. The EMP a few days earlier had knocked the power out, so she immediately discounted the refrigerator. Rummaging the cabinets yielded precious little except some energy bars and baby food. These went into the gym bag slung over her shoulder.

Seiko chanced to glance into the open recycle bin and noticed a few empty water bottles. "Maybe I should risk a peek in the fridge."

She wrapped a sweat rag over her mouth and nose and opened the reefer door. The powerful smell of fish gone to rot assaulted her olfactory despite the rag. Breathing through her mouth, Seiko peered into the gloom and noticed several more full water bottles. These found their way into her bag as well.

The kitchen rifled as best she could, Seiko made her way to the bedrooms. She chose the room with the smaller window. She searched the closets to make sure no bodies lurked in the dark, then set about heaving the bed against the door. Confident the bed would keep intruders out for the night, she pulled the blankets off the bed and piled them into a corner, creating a nest of sorts. Here, she fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming up all manner of horrors.

* * *

The sun shone full and bright into the bedroom, causing Seiko to stir from a less than restful night. Her barricade lay undisturbed, bringing a small measure of comfort. She stood and went through a short stretching routine to work the kinks out of her joints. That finished, she checked the door for sounds of movement on the other side. Satisfied she was alone, she heaved the bed out of the way.

Seiko peered into the hall. She climbed off the bed and made her way into the main room. She sat on the couch and opened a jar of baby food. This she gulped in one go then opened a second. She had finished her third when her improvised alarm went off at the side gate. Seiko jumped to her feet, bat at the ready. She made her way cautiously to the front door, intent on getting out the main gate.

She spared a glance over her shoulder to see one of Them struggling to regain its feet. _Must've crashed into the gate by accident. No time to deal with it. _Seiko pulled her ACU kepi tight to her head and slipped out the front gate, the squeak attracting the attention of the creature now trapped in the front yard as the gate closed.

Seiko peered around the corner and noticed several undead wandering aimlessly up the street toward her. _No going that way. _ She glanced to the west, it would take her out of her way slightly, but the lane was clear for several blocks. _Yosh._

Seiko took off at a run, keeping to the center of the street. A few abandoned cars, a child's bicycle and many dead bodies lay strewn about, all posing a hazard to Seiko's pace. Dodging each with the easy grace of a trained gymnast, Seiko managed to clear four blocks. The hills rose up before her, offering a clear view of the devastation behind. Seiko took a few moments to quietly catch her breath.

"Oh Alexis, wherever you are, I pray you are safe," Seiko whispered to the breeze. It blew cool across her neck, drying the light sweat off her Army PT shirt. She knelt and checked the knots on her Puma running shoes before scanning her route ahead. The hills were only lightly built up, offering more room for maneuver and fewer undead. Unfortunately, it would add to her time getting out of the city. Seiko wanted to go south-west, to the US Army base at Camp Zama.

"Nothing else for it." Seiko took off at a run into the hills, thinking to cut around the outskirts of town and then circle to the south. She made the outskirts and paused once again to gather her bearings.

The sound of running footfalls meeting pavement nearby caught her attention.

* * *

Johnathan Zimmerman grit his teeth as he ran, grasping the hand of his thirteen year old niece with one hand, and carrying his prized Winchester 1886 lever action rifle with the other. His clear blue eyes scanned the street in the immediate area, searching for the slightest bit of movement, as he stopped to catch his breath. He glanced over at his niece, Sarah, and grinned, hiding how he actually felt.

_She's nowhere near as winded as I am_, John thought, _so much for being a good role model_. He released her hand and leaned against the retaining wall of some poor sap's home, fighting to catch his breath and listening carefully. _Don't hear any zeds. Maybe I cleared them out earlier and the rest moved on? Wishful thinking,_ he faintly heard metal clanging a block or two away, _that'll draw more if there are any still around_.

Sarah tugged on the sleeve of his faded brown leather jacket, concerned etched in her young features.

John smiled, "I'm fine, Sarah, don't worry about me." He whispered, so as not to draw attention, then got up off the wall and took point, shouldering his rifle yet keeping at low-ready as he led the way up the street. He kept to the middle of the road, so as not to be surprised by any zeds that might be lurking in the alleys between the houses. As they reached the next intersection, John spotted some movement out of the corner of his right eye, so he spun and brought up his rifle. He froze before he pulled the trigger, however, upon seeing that the movement he had noticed was another survivor wielding a warped aluminum bat.

_Survivor? A woman,_ John noted. She stood at about five feet five inches, give or take an inch or two. Athletic build, so it was obvious she took care of herself. _Not many locals have that shade of hair,_ John mused to himself, commenting on the woman's ginger colored hair. John also didn't miss the US Army PT shirt, nor the ACU kepi she wore. The woman froze when she noticed the raised rifle.

John immediately lowered his gun, though he remained on his toes, "Sorry about that, ma'am, you gave me a bit of a scare." The woman narrowed her eyes and John could almost feel the invisible wall go up around her.

He pointed to his head, "I noticed your hat. You know someone in the Army?" The woman hesitated a moment, then noticed Sarah peeking out from around the corner. John followed her line of sight, then gestured for Sarah to come out, "This is my niece, Sarah. Say hi, Sarah."

The girl waved shyly and took a half-step behind John.

John smiled apologetically, "She, uh, doesn't talk since...you know." He gestured to the abandoned street around them. "My name is John. Mind if I ask your name, ma'am?"

The woman hesitated again, then spoke up, "...Seiko."

"Well, Ms. Seiko, a pleasure to meet a fellow survivor. Do you know someone in the US Army?" John asked again.

"Why do you ask?" Seiko asked cautiously. John noticed her grip tighten slightly on her bat. He also noticed a distinct lack of accent to her English.

"I was in the Army. Made Staff Sergeant before I...got out," John said, feeling the need to keep his past injuries to himself.

Seiko's expression softened a little, "My husband. He was a Major in the Army. He...passed away."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What was his name?" John asked hesitantly. He glanced around, making sure the area was still clear.

"James. James Schweiger, 1st Infantry," Seiko said.

John's eyes widened, "Major Schweiger? No shit! I served with him up until my...well, I served with him for a while. Great guy, sorry to hear he's gone, though."

"You knew James?" Seiko said softly.

"Served in his unit for a while. Had the pleasure of cooking out with him in our down time while on deployment. Listen, we better get moving unless we want to attract attention. Did you have any place in particular you wanted to go?" John asked.

"I'm trying to get to Camp Zama…" Seiko said trailing off when John's expression took on a haunted look.

"Uh, yeah, Camp Zama isn't there anymore. We came from that way," John said softly, tousling Sarah's long hair. The girl put one arm around her uncle's waist and looked down at the cracked street.

"What?" Seiko's tone wavered, her expression crestfallen.

"Listen. We're heading to the Izu Penninsula. Out of everywhere in mainland Japan, that is the least populated area that I can think of. You're welcome to join us if you want, but we need to get moving," John said.

Seiko, crushed by the news that her destination was no longer a viable option, seriously considered just giving up, like Sawako had. She looked over at the two Americans.

The man, who was looking down the street, perceiving some movement that she couldn't see, stood at just over six feet tall. He wore a brown leather jacket, that showed signs of being chewed on in places, over a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He wore combat boots, similar to the ones James had worn in the past, so there may be some truth to what he said earlier. He appeared to be around thirty years old and had black hair that showed signs of greying at his temples.

The girl with him, no more that fourteen or fifteen, had black hair that reached down to her shoulder blades and clear blue eyes, same as her uncle. She wore a white one piece dress that reached down to her knees, and a small denim coat over her dress.

_She's so young,_ Seiko thought sadly,_ and he said she doesn't talk._ One thing she noticed, though. Of the two, the man seemed to be out of breath and had already broken a sweat while the girl seemed fine.

"Izu Penninsula, you said?" Seiko asked aloud, almost startling the man.

"Yes, ma'am," The man, John, said politely.

"If it's not a bother, I'll go with you," Seiko said, adjusting her hat.

John smiled, "It's no bother at all. After all, The Major would probably haunt me if I left you on your own. We better get moving if we want to cover any ground before night falls again. I'll take point."

Seiko nodded with a smirk, falling into step behind John's niece, and noticed that he did not appear to be as in shape as most former soldiers. _Maybe it has to do with why he got out_, she thought.

As they were already near the outskirts of the town, they followed one of the outlying roads for a few hours until it intersected with a highway, a gas station nestled at the junction. After a moment's pause, John looked back at Seiko.

"How do you feel about stopping here for a break?" John asked. Seiko, while she felt she could keep going and thought they should make use of what sunlight was left, noticed the thin sheen of sweat coating the man's brow. He also seemed more pale now than he had been earlier.

"Alright," Seiko said, nodding. She didn't miss Sarah's relieved expression either. The girl didn't seem tired, though she seemed worried about her uncle even if she didn't vocalize it.

John slung his rifle over his shoulder and drew a pistol from under his coat. He stepped into the gas station with a slight limp, a limp that Seiko hadn't noticed until now. He cleared the convenience store aisle by aisle, then the restrooms.

"Wait here with Sarah, please," John said before stepping into the employee's section behind the check-out register. Seiko looked around the store for a moment, then outside at the steadily darkening street. A muffled crash quickly brought her attention back to the closed door, though. Sarah held both hands over her mouth as she started trembling. The door opened slowly and John stepped out, wiping his face with a wash cloth he must have found in the back. Seiko caught the slightest glimpse of a pair of feet in the back room before John closed the door behind him.

"All clear," John said, walking over to the door to the store and pulling the mesh shutter down slowly, so as to minimize noise. He tossed the washcloth onto the counter next to the register and sat down on the stool behind the counter. Seiko cast one more glance around the store, then turned back to see John placing a bottle back into his coat pocket.

"What was that?" Seiko asked.

"Hm? Oh, it's just aspirin," John said casually, patting his pocket, "I've got a bit of a headache, that's all."

Sarah crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, no sass from you, little girl!" John chuckled. "Go find something to eat, my treat. Bring it to me before you eat it, though. I need to check the expiration date."

Sarah nodded and disappeared down the aisles.

Seiko frowned, "It's not a headache, is it?"

"No, ma'am, is isn't. These days, I tire easier than I used to, but I can still pull my own weight, so don't worry," John said, setting his rifle on the counter, then taking off his black backpack and set it down next to the rifle.

Sarah came back and handed John a package of rice crackers and a handful of energy bars. John stuffed the bars into his bag, then checked the date on the crackers.

"Close," John muttered before handing them back to Sarah, "Eat up. Make sure to only drink water, okay?" Sarah nodded and darted off to the formerly refrigerated section.

"We're going to need to swing west, around, then south if we want to avoid the city around Camp Zama. I would have fled south after seeing the Camp, but there were too many of Them, and I had Sarah to take care of. Promised my sister I'd look after her while we were in Japan," John said softly, "perfect timing, huh?" He chuckled mirthlessly as he put his head down on the counter, using his arms as a pillow.

Seiko opened her mouth to say something, then noticed he had already fallen asleep. Sarah came back and looked from John to Seiko. She walked around the counter and kissed her uncle's forehead, much like a mother kissing their child goodnight, before sitting next to her uncle, digging into her package of crackers.

Seiko shook her head, then walked through the aisles, collecting any dry goods that were still good. As curious as she was about the guy who claimed to have served with her husband, Seiko figured those questions could wait until tomorrow.

Seiko spent a good part of the remaining daylight searching through the inventory on the shelves. They were obviously not the first group to search the store as most of the food had been taken. Seiko did spend some time looking though the assorted dry-goods and helped herself to a roll of duct-tape, shoe laces, socks, and first-aid items. While of no use against a bite from those– things, Seiko knew that she had to clean and bandage any other wound, lest it turn infectious and cause serious problems. She took a complete first-aid kit and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. All of this went into the gym bag. She wandered around and found a box of self-sealing sandwich bags. She opened the box, fit the alcohol into one and sealed the bag. She then took a few more bags and stuffed them into a side pocket.

She stood and noticed the little girl, Sarah, staring at her. Seiko smiled softly. "I have a daughter…out there, somewhere," she said. "I pray she is okay."

Sarah remained silent. Seiko had the distinct impression the girl was trying to read her soul. _Poor thing, _she thought. _What a horrible thing for a child to live through._ "Would you like a small sweet?" She dug into her gym bag and produced the last jar of baby food. Applesauce. Seiko held it in the palm of her hand and knelt down to eye level with Sarah. Sarah shook her head slowly then turned on her heel and returned to her uncle's side.

Seiko sighed and returned to her search of the store. Anything of obvious use was long since looted, leaving only odds and ends. She gathered a few peanut bars and stuffed those into her bag. She checked the back door to the convenience store and threw the bolt. That done, she made her way over to the counter and sat on the floor against counter, directly beneath John. She let the soft sounds of his breathing lull her to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, ladies and gentlemen. I know it's been awhile since I updated, and I apologize, but duty calls overseas. This chapter was written in conjunction with, and corrected by MarshalZhukov. Seiko is also a character graciously loaned to me by my senior author of HOTD stories. I recommend taking a look at MarshalZhukov's stories inbetween updates so you can see better work than my own. Now, you'll notice that this chapter doesn't include the characters from the first one, and all I can say is that I have plans for these two groups. Chapters will alternate between each group, so make sure to tell me which group you like better when you review, alright? Any recommendations, character submissions, or the like will be considered, not neccessarily used. Maybe even in passing. If you have a character idea you wish to submit, I will accept no more than TWO, and they must be realistic. Superpowers and the like will be promptly ignored, no offense. **

**Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, Grey out.**


End file.
